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History of Tribeca Buildings

First Impressions: Bar Hugo

When the Hotel Hugo opened last May, the rooftop bar was delayed, and while I imagine it has probably been open for a while now, I only just realized it because the PR reps sent out an email about a Super Bowl party there. That stretch of Greenwich—between Vandam and Spring—isn’t one I walk very often, particularly in the colder months….

You exit the elevator to face the curved bar, which is in the middle of the room; it has maybe eight stools. Most of the seating is leather chairs and banquettes along the floor-to-ceiling windows, mainly on the east and west sides but also north and south. Being 20 stories up still grants you quite a view in far west Soho; Adam and I could see the Chrysler Building from the bar, and the balcony gives you a heck of a view of 1 World Trade Center. Many of the windows open as doors—I suspect the place is extremely lovely on days that are the right temperature and not windy. (There’s evidently a second-floor terrace that will open come spring.)

Adam ordered a beer and I had the special Negroni, which used a star anise as garnish—something I’ll try at home, because it added a very interesting top note. I have a fondness for the hotel that may have made me like the space more, or maybe I had lower expectations, but Adam thought the decor was trying too hard, and the presence of a DJ set-up (not in use because it was Sunday) and the barrage of Rihanna songs made him think wistfully of a more grown-up hotel bar. All of which is to say that we might be too old, at least on busy nights. But I still think Bar Hugo makes a fantastic spot to take a group—there are nooks aplenty—or anyone who enjoys admiring the city’s skyline. And the hotel itself is worth bearing in mind when someone asks you for recommendations: When we checked, weekend rates started at $205, and Googling the hotel brings up Groupon deals from $144 per night.

Bar Hugo is in the Hotel Hugo at 525 Greenwich (between Vandam and Spring, 212-608-4848; hotelhugony.com.